The NFHS Soccer Rules Committee has thankfully (finally?) reduced the number of official signals from a mind numbing 23 down to 8, effective with the 2010-2011 season. The eight remaining signals are the signals that were most commonly used by officials at all levels of play. These signals include starting the clock, time out, direct [...]
It has been more than a year since the NFHS, in an effort to quash rolling starts, mandated a new starting sequence be followed when assuming the offensive starting position. More than a year seems like more than enough time for wrestlers, coaches, and officials to have adjusted to the change. It took all of [...]
You see the darnedest things when officiating youth football games. While I wasn’t present, the above clip was taken at a Bill George Youth Football game in my area and is indicative of something you will see on a youth field that I can’t imagine seeing at the high school level. It probably seemed like a [...]
All concussions are serious injuries. If you have not yet had the chance, you should check out the following article in GQ magazine (October 2009): Game Brain. It is a thought provoking piece written by Jeanne Marie Laskas that takes a look at chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in primarily ex-NFL players. The article begins with the [...]
The NFHS defines three types of illegal helmet contact: spearing, butt blocking, and face tackling. Spearing is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates contact against any opponent with the top of his helmet (2-20-1 [c]). Butt blocking is an act by an offensive or defensive player who initiates contact against an [...]
In the video clip below, we have a legal forward pass that ends up simultaneously possessed by airborne offensive and defensive players. The defensive player in joint possession of the ball appears to return to the field of play in his own end zone prior to the offensive player. The ruling on the field by [...]
Who am I? My name is Brett Anderson. I currently reside in Grayslake, IL with my wife and twin children. Since 2006 I have been a licensed official with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). I am currently licensed in six sports: football, soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball, & softball. My officiating career got off to [...]